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AM. PHOTO-LITHO. C0. NvY. (OSBURNE'S PROCESS UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

W. E. COOKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

UTERINE-SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,670, dated June 30, 1857.

.T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W. E. CooKE, of the city and county of Philadelphiaand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Supporters and Trusses for Females; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 represents a perspective view from the front of the truss orsupporter. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view from the rear partthereof. Fig. 3 represents the pessary and its support, detached fromthe truss or supporter, and Fig. 4 represents a vertical section throughthe pessary.

Similar letters of reference where they occur in the several figuresdenote like parts of the truss in all of them.

The object of this invention is to relieve and permanently cureprolapsus uteri and the other diseases consequent thereto, and thenature of the invention relates to the manner in which the supporter andtruss is made self adjusting or self yielding to the body of the wearerin all its material parts, as will be explained.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

A represents the front pad, to which is rigidly fixed the two loopedbars a, (1. Through the loops of these bars a, pass the two steel barsB, B, which are pivoted together at their overlapping ends by a pin 0,so that said bars may move or pivot on said pin, and also move in theloops of the bars or arms a. Adjusting holes 6, 6, may also be made inthe bars B, so that they may be extended or shortened as occasion mayrequire. The ends of the bars B, farthest from their pivoted point, arebent up, so as to form nearly a right angle with their more horizontalparts, and upon these bent u ends flanges f, f, are turned so as to formaloop or slide, into which the ends i, i, of the side or hip bars 0, 0,may enter and be made adjustable. A set screw 12, is placed in the endsof each of the loops on the bars a, so that a regulated amount offriction may be had on the bars B, to prevent them from too readilymoving in said loops.

On the rear part of the supporter and truss are two pads D, D, to eachone of which is affixed a loop or pressure arm or bar m, having a setscrew 0 therein to regulate the friction between it and a bar E, whichpasses through each of said pressure bars m. The two overlapping ends ofthese bars E, are pivoted together at r, and they may also ave adjustingholes therein, for shortening or lengthening said bars. The ends ofthese bars E, E, most remote from the pivoted point 1", are bent up, soas to form an obtuse angle withtheir more horizontal parts or bases, andthese bent up ends 8, 8, pass into loops or slides formed on the ends ofthe side or hip bars C, C, said loops or slides being formed by turningflanges '11., a, on the ends of said bars C. The spring bars or ribsthus made and united together and to the pads form the truss, and it maybe adjusted in two directions viz: *by drawing the ends of the barsthrough the slides or loops formed by the flanges, respectively, and byraising or lowering the hip bars 0, and thus correspondingly loweringand raising their ivoted points 0, r, and thus adapt themselves to thebody of the wearer. Additional loops 'v, v, are ermanently fixed to thefront pad A, into w iich slide the two ends of a piece of bent steelwire to are inserted, being first flattened out, as seen at w, as, Fig.1, for that purpose. This piece of wire to, as seen in Fig. 8, forms abow or yoke y, which holds the neck 1, of a pessary F, formed of ivoryor other similarly suitable material. The stem 2 of the pessary has along screw thread 2 out upon it, and on this screw thread a nut 3,within the ball of the pessary may be run up or down. The nut 3, hasprojections 4, 4 upon it, against which and against the roof of the ballof the pessary presses a helical spring 5, which allows said ball toyield to any undue pressure, as for instance in bending the body, orstooping, and when the person is erect the spring again returns the ballto its former regulated position. The ball F, can be raised or loweredon the stem 2 by means of the before described nut 3.

The parts of the truss or su porter which are in immediate contact witthe body of the user may be covered with buckskin, india rubber, or suchother material as comfort or cleanliness may require.

The pessary has three sources of adjustability or adaptability to themotions of the body of the user viz:- through the spring wire w, and thepad A, by the neck 1, of the stem of the pessary, and the yoke y, andfinally by the helical spring 5, within the ball of the pessary.

The truss and supporter may be removed or put on with great ease andconvenience there being nothing to fasten or unfasten or to adjust afterit is first fitted to the wearer. 7

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention, I would statethat I do not claim the ivoting of the bars B, B, and E, E, toget er atthe points 0, r, but

What I do claim herein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. The manner of uniting the bars B, B, and V7 p i E, E, to eachother; and to their pads respectively, through the intervention of theside or hip bars 0, C, so that the truss and supporter may not only beadjustable, but also self adjusting to the person, or body of thewearer, as herein set forth and explained.

2. I also claim in combination with the front pad A, an adjustableessary made and operating substantially in t e manner herein set forth.

W. E. COOKE.

Witnesses:

JNo. A. EMERIOK, SAML. E. KISTER.

